Asia Briefing – Vol. 48 No. 02

Asia Briefing – Vol. 48 No. 02

Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, who will be given the red hat of a cardinal Feb. 22, is himself descended from Koreans who shed their blood as martyrs for the faith in the 19th century. The red of the biretta given to cardinals symbolizes their own willingness to be martyred for the faith—though St. John Fisher, executed by Henry VIII for refusing to follow him into the Anglican schism, is the only cardinal to have been in fact called to martyrdom. Archbishop Yeom was born in 1943 in Anseong to a devout Catholic family; he is a great-great grandson of Peter Yeom Seok-tae and his wife Kim Maria. The two were martyred for their Catholic faith in 1850. The Korean Joseon state persecuted Catholics during the 19th century during a period of nationalism, regarding the Church as a form of foreign invasion. (CNA)

INDONESIA. Churches offer refuge to Indonesians fleeing volcano

INDONESIA. Churches offer refuge to Indonesians fleeing volcano

Following a Feb. 1 volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island Sumatra, the local Church has been providing shelter and assistance to those affected by the tragedy. Mount Sinabung’s sudden eruption, which occurred 55 miles south Medan spewed smoke, ash and rocks 1.5 miles into the air and engulfed several nearby villages in ash, killings 6 people have been killed, which occurred 55 miles south of Medan. The Medan archdiocese has opened the doors of its parishes to give temporary shelter to displaced persons, regardless of their religion. A large number of the evacuees, nearly 1,100, have taken refuge in St. Peter and Paul parish, located roughly three miles from Mount Sinabung. Medan will be safe, Fr. Sebastianus Eka Bhakti Sutapa, rector of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Medan, said and that the cathedral parish is assisting the diocese and other parishes in providing support to the displaced. (CNA)

THAILAND. Thai religious renew vows on Day for Consecrated Life

THAILAND. Thai religious renew vows on Day for Consecrated Life

Vowed religious in Thailand gathered to celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life recently, fostering and encouraging religious life in the southeast Asian country. Community and obedience make for a fruitful religious life, Bishop Joseph Sirisut of Nakhon Ratchasima preached in his homily at the Feb. 1 Mass, held at the city’s Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. More than 500 religious gathered at the city, 160 miles northeast of Bangkok, to renew their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience with lighted candles at the Mass. Bishop Sirisut encouraged the religious to follow the example of birds which fly in V-formations. He reflected that the V-formation helps the birds to conserve energy, and maintain communication, factors also important in living in community. (CNA)

Negligence and blind faith led to the death of a student in far northeast India, and the Church there has responded with an anti-superstition education campaign for parents. The child was a student at St. Xavier’s primary school in Lazu, part of the Miao diocese in Arunachal Pradesh state. At a regular school health check up before the Christmas break, he was diagnosed with appendicitis. St. Xavier’s principal, Fr. Joy Moc, urged the parents to seek medical treatment for their son at a hospital during the Christmas vacation. But trusting in supernatural, magical cures, and having blind faith, the parents failed to follow Fr. Moc’s advice, and their son has died from the rupture of his appendix. In an effort to educate parents so that such an avoidable death can be prevented in the future, the Diocese of Miao has launched a health and anti-superstition campaign in Lazu. On Jan. 17, more than 500 students and faithful of the diocese participated in the medical awareness program. A “Say No to Superstition” march was held, with participants holding banners with the slogan, as well as “health is our right,” “go to the doctor when you are sick,” and “right medicine at the right time.” (CNA)

A Feb. 3 Israeli court ruling has raised hopes that Israel will need to find an alternative route for the continuation of the security barrier in the Cremisan Valley next to the West Bank city of Beit Jalla. After deliberation following a hearing Jan. 29, the Supreme Court gave the state attorney until April 10 to justify why the route for the barrier should not be altered. The Supreme Court set a new hearing for July 30 to discuss the requested answer from the state and the responses of the people of Cremisan. Until the state responds, all work on the barrier must be stopped. If built as currently planned, the barrier would cut through Palestinian-owned land, separating families from their agricultural land as well as separating the Salesian Sisters from the community they serve in their school. The schoolchildren would be forced to go through a military-like checkpoint gate to reach their schools if the wall is built. It also would separate the women religious from the Salesian community of male religious and would separate both communities from their lands. (CNS)

BANGLADESH. No wage rise yet for Bangladesh garment workers

BANGLADESH. No wage rise yet for Bangladesh garment workers

More than two months after Bangladeshi garment manufacturers agreed to raise the minimum wage to US$68 per month, many workers say they have still not received a pay rise. Following a series of industrial accidents and violent protests, which led to factory closures in November, manufacturers agreed to increase the previous minimum wage from $38 per month, the lowest in Asia. But nearly 38 percent of factories in Dhaka and 60 percent in Chittagong have failed to implement the wage hike since it came into effect on December 1, the sector’s main trade body the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) found in a recent survey. The government offered tax deductions, reduced interest on loans and an export development fund to appease manufacturers as the wage increase came into effect, supposedly for all of the country’s four million garment workers. (UCAN)

PHILIPPINES. Death penalty opponents issue warning in the Philippines

PHILIPPINES. Death penalty opponents issue warning in the Philippines

Death penalty opponents have hit out at a senator’s attempt to restore capital punishment, saying many innocent people would be executed as a result of the Philippines’ flawed legal system. The Coalition Against the Death Penalty said on Tuesday it plans to highlight the cases of at least 10 people it says were wrongfully convicted as part of its efforts to stop reintroduction of the death penalty. “There are documents that will detail that these people were wrongfully convicted,” Rodolfo Diamante, a coalition member and executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, said. Senator Vicente Sotto III last week filed a bill seeking the revival of the Death Penalty Law that allows the use of lethal injection for judicial executions. The House of Representatives has already approved a bill that would reinstate the death penalty for drug traffickers but the Senate is yet to act on it. Both houses would need to approve reinstatement for executions to resume. (UCAN)

PAKISTAN. Probe into mass graves sought

PAKISTAN. Probe into mass graves sought

A prominent rights group on Jan. 28 called for a thorough probe into the discovery of 15 badly decomposed bodies from two mass graves in Pakistan’s insurgency-hit Balochistan province. In a statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called upon federal and Balochistan governments to quickly establish the identity of the deceased and their killers. The graves were discovered on Jan. 25. The government has dismissed some media reports which say more than 160 bodies were discovered. A thorough probe must be initiated and all efforts made to establish the facts in the case and bring the perpetrators to justice. If necessary, DNA tests should be conducted to identity the dead, it said. (UCAN)

After five years of unchallenged rule, Hong Kong lost its title as the “most fashionable city” in Asia to Shanghai in 2013, this according to a survey by the US-based Global Language Monitor (GLM). The GLM measures fashion trends by tracking print, electronic and social media for top words and phrases. It has released a report every year since 2004. In this year’s edition, the former British colony dropped to the 20th spot, losing eight positions. By contrast, Shanghai topped the table in Asia ahead of Tokyo and Singapore. New York comes first, followed by Paris, London, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Sydney and Antwerp. Shanghai comes in tenth. Without giving a detailed analysis of the individual cities, McKinsey, a consultancy, noted that mainlanders’ living standards have been on a rise. Because of this, the mainland is expected to account for 20 per cent of global luxury sales next year. (Asianews)

JAPAN. Imperial palace opens to special tours

JAPAN. Imperial palace opens to special tours

For the first time in Japanese history, the Imperial Household Agency will for the first time offer special visits to sections of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo that are normally off limits to the public to mark the 80th birthday of Emperor Akihito on Dec. 23. Analysts said the move aims to “reconnect” the Japanese people to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The tours are scheduled on the weekend of May 24 and 25, and on a Sunday and Sunday in early October, which are yet to be scheduled. About 600 applicants will reportedly get the opportunity to visit the place over the two weekends. (Asianews)

NEPAL. Jesuits lauded for their contribution to education

NEPAL. Jesuits lauded for their contribution to education

As the Hindu community celebrates Shree Panchami, the day of the wisdom and knowledge dedicated to the goddess Saraswati, government experts and officials thank Catholic clergymen and institutions for their contribution to the education of young Nepalis. “Hindus celebrate Saraswati in accordance with tradition,” Professor Manaprasad Wagle, a veteran educator, said, “but the history of the country shows that the Jesuits and their schools have pioneered international standard of education in Nepal.” “We have to thank them,” he added because unquestionably, “They incorporated Oxford standard courses in the curriculum, improving students’ knowledge and wisdom. For more than 60 years, they have improved the quality of education.” Education Ministry spokesperson Mahasram Sharma agrees. “Their contribution is evident in the fact that all Nepali students would like to join their schools,” he said. (Asianews)

SINGAPORE. Theological institute opens, a ‘milestone’ for the local Church

SINGAPORE. Theological institute opens, a ‘milestone’ for the local Church

The opening of the Theological Institute of Singapore (CTIS) will encourage the formation of lay Catholics in a more “systematic” and “in-depth” study of theology boosting skills and knowledge. Msgr. William Goh, archbishop of the city-state, emphasized the advantages of the institute inaugurated on January 22 in the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio, Msgr. Leopoldo Girelli, priests, nuns and lay people. Pondering God, our relationship with Him, according to the prelate, are already elements of “theology”. The difference between a theologian and a simple Christian, he adds, is that the former reflects and analyzes “the faith in a systematic and methodical” way. The reasons for our doctrine must be explained, so that people understand that our faith is “credible and reasonable”. (Asianews)